


Healing

by 2020MANAMANGEL



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aangst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Katara (Avatar), Emotional Growth, Emotional pain, F/M, Healing, Hurt Aang, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Protective Katara (Avatar), Protective Zuko (Avatar), Romance, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, implied sex, mentions abuse, past kataang, zutara ending
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:29:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26929684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2020MANAMANGEL/pseuds/2020MANAMANGEL
Summary: Letting things go is a part of growing up, whether its an obeject or people we love, its hard especially if you are the avatar of a healing war torn world. aang always had trouble with letting go of things but he learns the hard way that sometimes when you love someone you have to let them go, whether you like it or not. Katara tries to find herself after the war while dealing darkness and ends up finding peace where she least expected it. Zuko is trying his best to fix his mess of a country while dealing with feelings for a certain water bender and dealing with his own demons.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	Healing

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys welcome to my first ATLA story, its a zutara fic. this my first attempt at writing angst and romance so please enjoy. rate and review, opinions are welcome but no haters please.This fic is about healing and letting go so i hope you enjoy.

Aang remembered the moment he fell in love with katara, it was the first time he met her when she freed him from that ice berg all those years ago. That beautiful face with blue eyes and dark skin made him fall almost instantly.

He didn’t know what that overwhelming feeling was back then as a 12-year-old boy, but over the course of their journey together, he realized he loved her. He thought she felt the same way and for a while she did but then she didn’t at least the way he wanted her to.

He thought after he saved the world he would be happy with Katara his forever girl, he would rebuild his nation along with her and find the find happiness he craved. But life doesn’t go the way you want it to even if you are the avatar and he was fool to think that it would that simple.

When he and katara got together after the war he on cloud nine, he was so happy even if he had world devasted by war to fix, but as long he had katara he could face the world. In his blind affection what he didn’t notice that she didn’t return his feelings with the same fervor. He should have noticed but he was blinded by happiness and euphoria of being with katara.

Sure, he had to travel fixing disputes and other issues that arose with trying to maintain peace and she had to rebuild her tribe, but they maintained their relationship quite strong or so he thought, he didn’t see the little cracks in the foundation at the time.

And then she joined him to help with the air acolytes who embraced the culture of the air nomads even if they weren’t airbenders themselves. He was ecstatic his culture wouldn’t be lost forever with the air acolytes around so he threw himself into imparting his knowledge of air nomad culture to the acolytes with katara’s support.

At first, she attended all the lessons, helped out as much as she could to the air acolytes, but she was starting to become restless. Then the refugees were taken into the western air temple, people who whose villages were destroyed during the war at the behest of king kuei and Zuko until homes could be rebuild for these people.

Katara at first threw herself into healing and caring for the weary people, as much as she could, that was who katara was helping people in their time of need, whether it was physically or mentally. It made him proud of the girl who he thought would become his wife. Their time together as a couple was cut short most times as she would be busy caring for the refugees while he was busy with the acolytes, that was when the cracks grew in their relationship started to show.

After the refugees were relocated back onto their villages, it was just the two of them and the acolytes. He still had to travel frequently for avatar duties often leaving her behind in the temple with acolytes for months on end at times. That caused some tension between the two, but she always understood at least he assumed.

The months went on she started to become distant, he didn’t notice or a least he pretended not to notice he hoped with time they would once again be alright. He frequently communicated to the team via letters but sometimes it would be slow as they different duties to attend to but they always send responses whenever they could. Even katara communicated regularly with gang especially with Zuko he noted.

With some advice from his friends he started to make more of an effort, he gave her flowers every day, took her on romantic strolls, dates, even on his journeys for maintaining peace, but his efforts were met with hallow smiles and empty words, the more he tried the more she retreated. Aang knew she wasn’t quite the same girl since the war, there was a darkness, an internal war she struggled with, she hid behind mantras of “I am fine” and avoidance of the topic. He had his own demons but he went along with the flow, blinding himself with his love for her, ignoring the flaws in their relationship.

He struggled with it, fought for his love, ignored the looming the truth he knew deep in his mind.

She didn’t love him, the love he felt for her wasn’t reciprocated. she stayed and pretended to protect him, just like she always did.

He thought she would learn to love him the way he loved her, but his life fell apart on the day he proposed.

The pain that coursed through his body was worse than the lightning that Azula shot him in Ba sing Se, something he would never forget.

**_*Flash Back*_ **

_Aang was nervous, today was the day he was going to propose to Katara, the necklace he carved with symbols of air and water weighed heavily in his pocket._

_It was a beautiful night in the beginning of summer in Ba sing se, they were reunited with gang for Iroh’s birthday and the Jasmine dragon’s anniversary._

_Everyone was happily eating, drinking and being merry for the occasion, his friends were all different from the last time he saw them._

_Sokka looked just like Hakoda, grown on to his frame with broad shoulders, with his signature wolf tail with decorative whalebone beads in his hair looking every bit like the water tribe warrior he was even in his earth kingdom clothes, Toph blossomed into a beautiful young woman, she was maturing but was still the toph they all knew and loved, Suki looked amazing in her earth kingdom dress, with her Betrothal necklace that was carved in the shape of fan that hung on neck. Zuko was in his casual yet regal outfit with the flamed crown of the fire lord in his topknot looking every bit the Lord that he was._

_And Katara was absolutely beautiful in her green Earth kingdom dress, her curly chocolate hair flowing behind her with pink flowers tucked in. it left aang breathless, she would look even better with the necklace he was about to give her._

_Taking a deep breath, he moved forward to where Katara and Zuko were talking quite happily, katara was wearing beautiful smile looking amused at zuko who was looking quite flustered but had a slight smile and was looking at her with a strange expression on his face, aang thought annoyed at it._

_He shook his head, come on Zuko was his friend cut it out aang he thought to himself._

_“Hey Sweetie, can I talk to you for minute?” asked aang breaking katara and Zuko out of the conversation they were in._

_Katara looked at him with annoyance, but nodded and allowed him to lead her to the center of the room. With Zuko slightly scowling at his back unbeknownst to aang._

_“What are you doing aang?” asked Katara looking nervous suddenly._

_Everyone was staring at the two people in the room in center wondering what aang was going to do except Zuko who was suspiciously looking pale at the implications and toph who had a grim expression indicating that this wasn’t going to end well._

_“Katara I loved you since the day you freed from the ice berg and we been together for some time” said looking at Katara whose eyes were wide and pale faced._

_“Aang , please stop.” Said Katara looking just about ready to run away and puke._

_This is going to be disaster thought suki, turning to sokka who mirrored her sentiments in his eyes along with the rest of the occupants._

_“ Katara will you marry me?” asked aang ignoring katara’s words and offered her the necklace he carved._

_Katara stared at the necklace in revulsion and then looked around the room looking at the faces filled with trepidation at the situation, lingering on particularly on Zuko’s face who was staring back with an unreadable expression before looking back at aang who was down on one knee._

_“Aang I am sorry but no I can’t marry you” said katara with tears in her eyes._

_“Oh…” said aang who stood up in embarrassment and anger._

_“I understand you are not ready, yet right? Its ok katara” said aang barely keeping the frustration out of his voice while looking at Katara who had tears streaming down her cheeks._

_“ No aang I can’t do this anymore…”choked out katara while hanging her head down._

_“What do you mean Katara?” asked aang in confusion trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut._

_Everyone else was watching the scene frozen in various states of shock, relief, and other emotions watching the pair like a volleyball watch._

_Taking a deep breath, she looked at him straight at him in eye with tears._

_“ Aang I don’t want to be with you anymore” said katara with an emotionally heavy voice._

_Just like that his world was shattered with those words, his nightmare came true. Aang felt as if he was shocked by lightning, as his heart was shredded apart into pieces._

_“but. But katara I love you. What did I do wrong?” said aang with a lump in his throat._

_Looking at the young avatar whose heart she just broke katara just sobbed._

_“Its ok Katara we can make this work, I’ll change I swear!” said aang desperately while katara just kept sobbing and shaking her head no with her hands on her ears blocking out the desperate pleas of the heartbroken avatar._

_The others went to interfere but Iroh shook his head warning them stay away.They needed to deal with this themselves._

_“Aang no, I can’t” said katara pitifully while clenching her fists._

_“But I love you katara , you’re my forever girl , we are meant to be” said aang who was starting to get angry and grabbed her hands with his holding them tight._

_Katara who was getting frustrated at the stubborn avatar exploded with all the frustration and misery she kept under wraps ripped her hands away from avatar and screamed furiously._

_"I DON’T LOVE YOU AANG AND I AM TIRED OF YOU AND THIS RELATIONSHIP, I WANT OUT OF THIS!”_

_Everyone gasped at the words she said in shock, jaws dropping._

_“Katara…” trailed off aang who was now unashamedly crying and heart broken_

_“ I am so sorry aang but it’s the truth, I felt miserable and suffocated being with you, I wasn’t myself. I can’t deny myself anymore. I don’t belong with you and the acolytes, I want to be me, there is so much to do to fix the world, I want to help the people that need it, but that can’t happen with me in your shadow” choked katara with tears._

_Aang stared at her speechless at her words with a crumpled face._

_“Aang you are the avatar you have a responsibility to world I can understand but all this time I have only been Katara the avatar’s girlfriend, not just katara master waterbender, daughter of the chief of the southern water tribe. “_

_“I am sorry I couldn’t love you the way you want me to, you’re a good person aang and you deserve the world, and someone who will be by your side willing to share the burdens that come with being the avatar and rebuilding the air nations but that someone is not me. Call me selfish but I can’t lose myself for your sake. I've given up and lost a lot because of the war. I can’t give you the happiness you deserve nor can you give the happiness I want. I am so sorry aang.” Said katara while weeping and collapsed to her knees._

_Aang felt light headed as he stared at katara, she didn’t love him, he couldn’t breathe, he needed to get out. He ran out of iroh’s house with tears blurring his vision._

_Sokka and Zuko exchanged looks with each other as sokka and toph ran after aang calling out his name while Zuko came near katara and put his arms around her as she sobbed while suki joined the hug._

_Iroh shook his head as he thought the trials of young love are never easy and went to the kitchen to make some calming chamomile tea for the hurt young woman while pondering about the odd behavior of his nephew today about the failed proposal._

**_*flashback*_ **

It still hurts whenever he thought about that night, the rejection broke him into pieces.

When he overheard madam, Wu say that that katara marry a powerful bender he was ecstatic, he began dreaming of a life together, rebuilding his nation together, marrying her, starting a family. But those dreams never came to fruition like most dreams.

The air nomads strived for spiritual enlightenment by embracing the teachings passed off by the monks. And one of those lessons was if you love someone sometimes you have you let them go.

At the time when monk Gyatso said that aang was still a child he didn’t know what it meant. He thought back to the time he found a sick young sparrowkett on the temple grounds when he was about 6 years old. Monks are taught that all life was sacred so he nursed the sparrowkeet back to health by spending his time feeding it and taking care of it, he even named it, ping was the name he picked. Eventually the bird was once again healthy ready to return to the sky.

When the monks said to release ping back to wild aang refused he loved ping, he didn’t want his new friend to leave him. He cried, begged and threw a tantrum worthy of a spoiled prince. Later monk Gyatso took him aside after getting a punishment from the elder monks, he told aang that sometimes you have to learn some hard lessons and one them of them was if you love someone or something that sometimes it means you have let them go even if you want them to stay it may not be what is best for them.

Aang remembered asking why did it have to be that way and Gyatso replied you will understand someday my boy but it won’t always the easy choice but it will be right one he said. Afterwards he let ping go, the bird fluttered around quite happily before coming near aang one more and flew off into the blue sky. He remembered how the bird seemed happy, excited when he let ping out of his cage.

Aang hoped that was the last time he’d ever have to let go of someone he loved.

How wrong he was to think that would be the case for the rest of his life.

When aang was told that he was the avatar, he knew that his carefree life would be over. Usually monks are told a brief explanation at a young age about the honor and responsibilities of the avatar to the four nations when time came for the avatar to hail from the air nomads. The avatar has a duty to keep balance and harmony among the four nations, master the avatar state, he is to be dedicated to this duty, his duty to humanity comes above all else even the avatar himself.

When young aang listened to this, he thought the avatar has a very difficult life, to dedicate his life for the sake of balance and harmony of the four elements it’s a very big responsibility. An avatar would have given up a lot of things in life for duty. Frankly he didn’t want that kind of life he didn’t want to be avatar, his younger self thought.

And then few short years later he was declared as the avatar, he ran away as the world plunged to war for a 100 years and he was frozen in an ice berg.

But katara broke him out of that ice berg and helped him to save the world along with friends they made. He thought he would live happily with katara for the rest of his days, but the fantasy of his young naïve self would remain just as that.

He never thought that he would have to let go of katara, but she left.

He would get her back somehow, he couldn’t let go, he isn’t is ready but deep in his soul a voice similar monk Gyatso said you have to let her go.

But he just couldn’t.

What aang didn’t know was that he would have to let go whether he liked it or not.


End file.
